Care England welcomes the publication of new research from The King’s Fund about public attitudes towards adult social care in England

Care England, the largest and most diverse representative of adult social care providers in England, has welcomed new research from The King’s Fund on public attitudes towards social care. It provides timely insight into the impact of public perception on the challenge of reforming social care.

Many of the conversations about social care, how it can be improved for those who receive care, for those who directly deliver care, and for provider organisations, have come to feel stagnant. This report goes a long way to highlight the issue of communicating the sector’s challenges in a way that resonates with those outside of the sector.

Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, said: 

“Successive governments have treated social care reform as a hot potato to quickly shift without making any meaningful progress. Short-termism and public misperceptions have underpinned the dissolution of cross-party talks and agreements in the past. The largest underappreciated challenges beyond staffing shortages or funding settlements are reshaping public perception, and generating the political will to drive seed change for the sector.

 

Social care’s potential value to the wider health and social care ecosystem has been severely limited by under-investment. The sector’s capacity to contribute to the economy, to lessen pressures on the NHS, and to improve the lives of the millions who work in and draw on care services is clear. But, the political will to drive change, and the public desire to see social care near the top of the policy agenda is missing.

 

International examples such as that of Japan prove that change can come through a real consultative engagement process with sector stakeholders and the wider public. There is potential for the Casey Commission to deliver on this potential, but political courage is needed to drive this kind of change.

 

Care England welcomes this report and is prepared to work with our partners, members, and other stakeholders to reshape public perception and to drive change to fulfil the potential of the social care sector.”